06/15/2011 President of Modern Women, Inc Interview
04/10/2009 United National Gridiron League Coming to Orlando
03/20/2009 Schwalb – Arena Racing USA eyes Orlando for expansion
07/24/2008 Schwalb Receives Humanitarian Award From Euro-American Women’s Council
Chelsea Langley interviews the President of Modern Women, Inc. – Allen J. Schwalb at the 2009 Orlando Film Festival opening night party.
Local team debuting in 2010 as part of Connecticut-based football organization
Orlando Business Journal – by Richard Bilbao
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Allen Schwalb of Orlando is an adviser and financier |
The United National Gridiron League, a New Haven, Conn.-based football organization, wants to establish a team in Orlando by 2010 to market local talent to the National Football League.
The premise behind the eight-team league is to act as a player developmental pool for the NFL where college-level athletes can showcase their skills to coaches and recruiters. The league has no affiliation with the NFL to date.
However, UNGL officials said the league aspires to act as a minor-league system for the NFL, much like the American Hockey League, AAA Minor League Baseball and the NBA Developmental League, which provide athletes a way to showcase their skills to the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association, respectively.
Ben Eison, UNGL president and co-founder, said the 2-year-old league will kick off its inaugural 32-game season in May with eight teams in Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Florida. The league hopes to grow to 22 teams by 2011.
The Florida team, which is finalizing contractual talks with the league, will be based in Miami and play at Florida International University. The league wanted to bring Orlando into the mix as well, because “we were looking for areas that were big in professional- or college-level football and also had the appropriate fan support,” Eison said, noting the growth of the University of Central Florida’s sports program.
Eison said the local team likely will try to play in the Bright House Stadium at the University of Central Florida, which was completed in 2007 and seats more than 45,000 people, to boost attendance through the local student body as well as off-campus fans.
Average tickets cost $10 per game, season tickets for games will cost less than $100, and league revenue will be generated through ticket sales, broadcasting rights, advertising, merchandise and sponsorships, said a league handbook provided to investors. Average attendance is expected to range between 30,000-40,000 people.
The league is securing about $15 million in operating capital from private investors, said Allen Schwalb, a local adviser and financier for the league. Schwalb is also involved with Arena Racing USA, a NASCAR-style racing organization set in an arena environment, which also is looking to expand to Orlando by 2010.
The UNGL already has secured more than $5 million in operating capital to kick-start its 2009 season and expects to get the remaining capital during the season, he said.
A local football team that could provide more sports diversity in Orlando and be another source for economic impact is good news, but in the current economy, there’s a lot of hurdles to jump to become established, said Sam Stark, president and CEO of the Central Florida Sports Commission.
It’s a position Orlando has been in numerous times before, Stark points out.
On the positive side: The annual Capital One and Champs Sports bowl games held at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium produce as much as $73 million in local economic impact.
On the negative side: The local economy has caused leagues such as the Arena Football League, which suspended play in December to create a better long-term economic model for the league, to pull back.
As for the new league, Stark said he’ll remain optimistic that it can succeed — as long as it brings a sound business model to the table. “The league will only help Central Florida if it has longevity. However, if it comes and goes, it doesn’t do us any favors as a sports town.”
Fast facts
United National Gridiron League
Description: Independent football league providing recruitment talent for the NFL
Headquarters: New Haven, Conn.
Top officials: Ben Eison, president; Marvin Tomlin, CEO
Founded: 2007
2009 season kickoff: May 3
Contact: (877) 349-1852; (407) 869-5202,
www.ungleague.com
Financial adviser: Allen Schwalb
Contact: (407) 869-5202
www.AllenSchwalb.com
rbilbao@bizjournals.com | (407) 241-2888
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved
Orlando Business Journal – by Richard Bilbao
|
Allen Schwalb of Orlando is an adviser and financier for the league. |
Arena Racing USA wants to bring a five-month indoor mini stock car tournament to downtown Orlando’s new events center when it’s finished in 2010.
Arena racing is a multi-heat, tournament-style competition using stock cars half the size of those used in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup racing. The cars, which are entered through a sun roof, are 9 feet long and can reach speeds of up to 100 mph.
The competitions are held on a custom-made aluminum track, which can be disassembled and assembled in pieces during the off-seasons.
The racing season runs from mid-October to mid-March and includes 15 events, culminating with a championship race based on point standings.
Average tickets cost $10, and there were 2,600 spectators at an event last week in Hampton Roads, Va., league officials said.
League President and CEO Bob Keane said the Mechanicsville, Va.-based league is funded through fees such as technology licensing, sponsorship, and attendance and merchandise fees. He wouldn’t disclose the league’s annual revenue.
Orlando is a natural choice for expansion since it already has an established fan base for arena games, said Keane. The City Beautiful is home to the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators and the National Indoor Soccer League’s (NISL) Orlando Sharks.
However, in November, the Sharks announced plans to sit out the 2008-2009 NISL season due to unresolved issues after the Major Indoor Soccer League ceased operations in early 2008. And in December, the Arena Football League suspended play in order to create a better long-term economic model for the league.
With both leagues idle, it’s an ideal time to introduce a new arena sport, said Allen Schwalb, an investor in the Orlando team.
Early test-runs of arena racing in Virginia proved successful with fans who liked being able to watch a race indoors in stadium seating, which lets onlookers watch the race high above the track instead of having to watch from a distance in the larger NASCAR-style versions, he said.
The rights to operate Arena Racing USA in a city, including the cost of the track, is less than $1 million. It could cost as little $250,000 a season, to maintain the track and the cost of operations, since racers pay to participate and compete for a grand prize, added Schwalb.
Sam Stark, president of the Central Florida Sports Commission, said any sport that can generate an economic impact for the city is welcome — but starting up right now may be challenging.
“The burden is on the league and organizers to make it work,” he said. “Central Florida is always willing and ready to embrace good products and entertainment. But the question is: Can they deliver?”
Arena Racing USA
Description:
Puts on indoor mini stock car races
Headquarters: Mechanicsville, Va.
Top official: Bob Keane, CEO
Contact: (804) 402-4507
www.arenaracingusa.com
Financial adviser: Allen Schwalb
Contact: (407) 869-5202
www.AllenSchwalb.com
rbilbao@bizjournals.com | (407) 241-2888
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved
Allen Schwalb Loula Loi Alafoyiannis Rita Cosby
